Principal Engineer - Process Systems

Mc Dermott; Dubai; On-site; AED 330,517 - 477,414; Full time

Job summary

Mc Dermott is seeking a Principal Engineer – Process Systems in Dubai, UAE. This senior role involves leading process engineering decisions from concept through execution, ensuring technically compliant design solutions in the Oil and Energy sector.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in conceptual studies, FEED, and detailed process design, alongside proven ability to manage complex projects and guide less experienced engineers.

Qualifications

• Extensive senior-level process engineering experience within oil and gas, offshore, or energy projects.
• Strong experience with process simulation and flow diagrams.
• Ability to interpret contracts and support variation orders.

Responsibilities

• Perform conceptual engineering, FEED studies, and detailed design activities.
• Complete process analyses according to project specifications.
• Manage assigned responsibilities against project objectives and deadlines.

Skills

Process engineering

Conceptual engineering

FEED engineering

Detailed process design

Process safety

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or related discipline

Job description

Principal Engineer – Process Systems

Principal Engineer – Process Systems in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is a senior Oil and Energy opportunity focused on conceptual studies, FEED, detailed process design, process simulation, safety studies, equipment sizing, and multidisciplinary engineering leadership.

Role Context

The Principal Engineer – Process Systems acts as a technical authority for process design and engineering execution, interpreting contractual obligations, operating requirements, design criteria, customer specifications, and project constraints to develop safe, efficient, operable, and technically compliant process solutions. The position covers process engineering from early concept selection through FEED, detailed design, procurement support, fabrication, safety reviews, and project delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform conceptual engineering, FEED studies, process evaluations, and detailed design activities.
• Complete process analyses according to the design basis, project specifications, design codes, and recognized standards.
• Apply advanced technical knowledge to complex and nonstandard engineering situations.
• Prepare accurate process calculations, engineering analyses, reports, specifications, and procedures.
• Manage assigned responsibilities against project objectives, deadlines, and approved budgets.
• Forecast discipline resource requirements when working as Lead Engineer.
• Explain complex process concepts clearly and influence technical decisions.
• Maintain full knowledge of project scope, schedules, specifications, deliverables, and multidisciplinary requirements.
• Identify design concerns, technical risks, schedule constraints, and interface issues at an early stage.
• Initiate corrective action before identified concerns affect engineering quality, procurement, fabrication, or delivery.
• Interpret contractual requirements affecting process engineering execution.
• Identify scope changes and prepare change notifications, supporting documentation, estimates, and variation order inputs.
• Coordinate with all engineering disciplines to produce integrated and clash‑free designs.
• Obtain information required for process deliverables from project management, planning, procurement, vendors, and other disciplines.
• Record communications that result in significant technical decisions or assigned actions.
• Prepare proposal estimates, execution statements, technical query reviews, software requirements, and work‑hour forecasts.
• Develop discipline budgets and project execution plans and update them when requirements change.
• Raise technical queries to obtain missing information and clarify incomplete or conflicting project requirements.
• Prepare, review, and approve process design bases, engineering philosophies, specifications, and technical procedures.
• Finalize discipline deliverable registers and verify compliance with project requirements and functional integrity.
• Review project and fabrication schedules against engineering scope, construction sequence, and key milestones.
• Attend project kickoff meetings, design reviews, vendor meetings, engineering coordination sessions, and offshore surveys.
• Provide technical direction to designers and engineers preparing process‑related documents and drawings.
• Prepare, review, and approve process reports, calculations, procedures, and design deliverables.
• Provide timely process engineering inputs required by other disciplines.
• Review vendor and subcontractor submissions and verify compliance with project specifications.
• Present technical concerns to customers and support the negotiation of practical and compliant resolutions.
• Guide less experienced engineers in company procedures, standards, calculations, software, requisitions, and technical evaluations.
• Supervise assigned process engineers and coordinate deliverables with project lead designers.
• Maintain responsibility for the engineering integrity of the assigned process work area.
• Monitor the cost and efficiency of discipline work processes.
• Prepare technical papers, deliver presentations, and support internal engineering knowledge‑sharing activities.
• Participate in customer, internal, and third‑party audits and design reviews.
• Capture lessons learned and support their incorporation into future engineering execution.
• Maintain compliance with company procedures, customer requirements, quality controls, and project governance standards.

Process Engineering Deliverables

• Prepare, review, and approve process simulations and heat and material balances.
• Develop and verify process flow diagrams.
• Prepare and review piping and instrumentation diagrams.
• Produce process data sheets for equipment and instrumentation.
• Develop process design specifications and operating requirements.
• Prepare operating philosophies, start‑up philosophies, and operating manuals.
• Maintain process data within equipment lists and line lists.
• Perform equipment sizing calculations for separators, vessels, heat exchangers, pumps, compressors, and associated process systems.
• Complete line sizing calculations for liquid, gas, multiphase, relief, flare, and utility services.
• Perform flare radiation and dispersion calculations.
• Conduct depressurization studies and flare network analyses.
• Complete process optimization, debottlenecking, operability, and performance studies.
• Verify that process designs satisfy capacity, safety, reliability, maintainability, and operating requirements.
• Review vendor data and incorporate approved information into process deliverables.
• Maintain consistency between simulations, flow diagrams, piping and instrumentation diagrams, equipment data, and line data.
• Prepare technical assumptions, calculation notes, and design justifications for process decisions.

Multidisciplinary Support

• Participate in layout reviews and provide process input on equipment positioning, access, safety, and operating requirements.
• Support the preparation and review of hazardous area classification drawings.
• Provide process information required for safety engineering studies.
• Supply verified equipment loads and operating data for electrical load list development.
• Review process information included in mechanical equipment data sheets.
• Prepare and verify process conditions for instrumentation data sheets.
• Provide inputs for emergency shutdown logic, fire and gas logic, and cause and effect diagrams.
• Develop or review control narratives and operating sequences.
• Conduct inter‑discipline checks and respond to technical comments from other engineering functions.
• Coordinate process requirements with piping, mechanical, instrumentation, electrical, safety, structural, and layout teams.
• Support procurement teams with process‑related requisitions, technical evaluations, and vendor clarifications.
• Coordinate with vendors supplying process packages and discipline‑managed equipment.

Process Safety Responsibilities

• Participate in HAZAN, HAZID, HAZOP, and other safety, operability, and reliability studies.
• Present process design intent, operating scenarios, safeguarding philosophy, and identified risks during workshops.
• Support the identification of credible hazards and suitable prevention and mitigation measures.
• Assist in closing HAZOP actions and confirm that approved changes are incorporated into relevant documents.
• Verify consistency between process design, shutdown requirements, relief systems, and fire and gas controls.
• Provide process engineering support during design assurance and technical quality audits.
• Review recommendations from customers, auditors, certifying authorities, and third parties.
• Ensure safety‑related process decisions are documented and traceable.

Lead Engineering Responsibilities

• Direct a medium or large process engineering team when assigned as Lead Engineer.
• Take responsibility for discipline execution across the assigned project or work area.
• Plan and control process scope, deliverables, schedule, budget, manpower, interfaces, and technical quality.
• Agree staffing allocations with the Discipline Manager.
• Act as the process discipline point of contact for customers and external technical organizations.
• Represent the discipline in project meetings, technical reviews, audits, and customer discussions.
• Identify staffing needs based on workload, schedule, and individual engineering competencies.
• Assign responsibilities, deliverables, deadlines, and work‑hour budgets to discipline personnel.
• Confirm that assigned tasks are completed within approved budgets and schedules.
• Develop and maintain the Level 4 discipline deliverable schedule and register.
• Prepare working forecasts, recovery plans, corrective actions, and current schedule updates.
• Provide discipline inputs for progress, productivity, planning, and forecasting reports.
• Monitor key performance indicators and implement corrective actions where required.
• Alert project management to scope deviations and requirements for change orders.
• Coordinate with other discipline leads to obtain design inputs within required dates.
• Review and approve requisitions, technical quotation evaluations, bid tabulations, recommendations, and purchase requisitions.
• Coordinate with procurement teams to expedite vendor information and discipline‑managed items.
• Lead the process team during internal, customer, and third‑party technical audits.
• Direct process engineering participation in formal design reviews.
• Review customer and external agency comments and guide their accurate resolution.
• Support quarterly forecasts, manpower planning, and team performance evaluations.
• Anticipate future engineering requirements and arrange necessary personnel, software, and specialist support.

Ideal Profile

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Extensive senior‑level process engineering experience within oil and gas, offshore, onshore, energy, or EPCI projects.
• Proven experience as a Principal Engineer, Lead Engineer, process specialist, or technical authority.
• In‑depth knowledge of conceptual design, FEED, detailed engineering, and process safety.
• Strong experience with process simulation, heat and material balances, process flow diagrams, and piping and instrumentation diagrams.
• Ability to prepare and review process equipment and instrument data sheets.
• Advanced capability in equipment sizing, line sizing, flare studies, depressurization, and process optimization.
• Practical experience developing operating philosophies, start‑up procedures, control narratives, and operating manuals.
• Strong knowledge of HAZAN, HAZID, HAZOP, operability reviews, and reliability studies.
• Experience leading medium or large engineering teams and controlling scope, schedule, manpower, budget, and productivity.
• Ability to interpret contracts, recognize scope changes, and support variation orders.
• Experience coordinating with customers, vendors, procurement teams, auditors, certifying authorities, and multidisciplinary engineering groups.
• Strong understanding of engineering standards, project specifications, company procedures, and recognized industry practices.
• Ability to review and approve complex calculations, studies, specifications, reports, and engineering drawings.
• Strong leadership, communication, mentoring, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Ability to work independently and make technically sound decisions under demanding project conditions.
• Professional Engineer registration or membership in a recognized engineering institution is advantageous.
• Strong commitment to process safety, engineering integrity, cost control, quality, and timely project delivery.

Skills Set

• Process engineering
• Conceptual engineering
• FEED engineering
• Detailed process design
• Process simulation
• Heat and material balances
• Process flow diagrams
• Piping and instrumentation diagrams
• Equipment process data sheets
• Instrument process data sheets
• Process specifications
• Operating philosophy
• Start‑up philosophy
• Operating manuals
• Equipment sizing
• Line sizing
• Flare radiation analysis
• Flare dispersion analysis
• Depressurization studies
• Flare network studies
• Process optimization
• Process safety
• HAZAN
• HAZID
• HAZOP
• Operability studies
• Reliability studies
• Hazardous area classification
• Emergency shutdown logic
• Fire and gas logic
• Control narratives
• Inter‑discipline checks
• Technical quality audits
• Vendor document review
• Procurement support
• Scope change management
• Variation order support
• Engineering budget control
• Work‑hour forecasting
• KPI monitoring
• Process team leadership
• Technical mentoring

Why Join Us

This position offers the opportunity to lead critical process engineering decisions across the complete project lifecycle, from initial concept development through detailed design and project execution. The role combines advanced technical analysis, process safety, customer engagement, multidisciplinary coordination, and team leadership.

McDermott International, Ltd provides exposure to large offshore, subsea, onshore, and energy transition developments supported by global engineering and construction resources. The role offers a strong career path toward discipline management, project engineering leadership, global technical authority, or senior process governance responsibilities.

About the Company

McDermott International, Ltd delivers engineering, procurement, fabrication, construction, installation, commissioning, and project management services across the global energy value chain. Its international teams support complex offshore, subsea, onshore, and energy transition projects through integrated technical expertise and project execution capabilities.